Emotionally spent after a tense, thrilling win the night before, the Coupeville High School girls basketball team fell at Blaine and out of the district tournament 50-40 Friday, Feb. 14.

With the loss, the Wolves finished the season at 10-13. Blaine, now 16-7, earned a berth in the tri-district tournament with the win.

“Tonight just wasn’t meant to be,” said Coupeville coach David King. “We started flat and couldn’t break out of it. We didn’t have a bounce in our step on defense and couldn’t find a rhythm on offense. (The) emotion win last night and then the travel up north may have had a hand on our start to the game.”

Coupeville defeated Meridian 42-41 Friday to stay alive in the tournament and set up the journey to Blaine.

The Wolves were a step slow and Blaine, getting nine points from Breanna Chau and five from Taylor V’Dovec, jumped to a 16-7 first-quarter lead.

Amanda Fabrizi scored seven points in the second quarter for Coupeville, but the Borderites continued to pull away, leading 28-16 at the break.

The lead grew to 45-22 heading into the final period. The Wolves rallied – Fabrizi scored nine points and Makana Stone six – and Coupeville outscored Blaine 18-5 in the period, but the hole was too deep to pull out the victory.

Coupeville’s lone seniors, Fabrizi and Breeanna Messner, closed out the game and their careers by each connecting on a three-pointer in the final moments.

“Even though we lost,” King said, “(it was) a perfect ending with both of our seniors leading the way and knocking down their last shots.”

“Bree and Amanda are true leaders and others will have huge shoes to fill next year and beyond,” King said. “Amanda has stepped up this year and really increased her scoring and has been a good complement to Makana.

“Bree has been the do-whatever-it-takes to help this team win. She led us from the point guard position; she increased her rebounding and assists.”

Fabrizi finished the game with 19 points, Stone scored 10, Julia Myers four, Maddi Strasburg four and Messner three.

Stone added six rebounds and four blocks, Strasburg had five rebounds, Myers four rebounds, Kacie Kiel five assists and Monica Vidoni two blocks.

Strasburg returned after missing Friday’s game because of an illness.

“We were glad to have Maddi back and playing,” King said. “She brought energy.”

Although Wynter Thorne didn’t score, she “came in and gave us some good minutes and hustle,” King said.

V’Dovec led the Borderites with 19 points.

Blaine out-rebounded Coupeville 32-24 and out-shot Coupeville 39 percent (20 for 51) to 31 percent (15 for 48). The Wolves had 27 turnovers and Blaine 15.

Just hours after the season ended, King was already looking ahead: “The returning players are excited already to get back into the gym and start working toward next season. We have a great tradition and will look to keep getting better as a program.”